Kansas City Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker is once again at the center of controversy after defending his inflammatory commencement speech, where he denounced homosexuality, abortion, IVF, and working women. Butker, a devout Catholic, claimed the speech was intended for a “specific crowd” and expressed regret that others took offense.
“I’m definitely saddened [some people] took it in a poor manner,” Butker said on Fox News’ The Ingraham Angle, during an appearance with conservative host Laura Ingraham. “I was trying to speak life for so many women that have dedicated their life to being the homemaker.”
The backlash erupted in May when Butker delivered the commencement address at Benedictine College. Instead of offering words of encouragement, he used the platform to promote traditional gender roles, directly addressing female graduates with a message many saw as regressive and out-of-touch.
“For the ladies present today, congratulations on an amazing accomplishment,” Butker began. “But I want to speak directly to you briefly because I think it is you, the women, who have had the most diabolical lies told to you.”
He went on to suggest that most women would find their fulfillment not in careers, but in marriage and motherhood: “Some of you may go on to lead successful careers in the world, but I would venture to guess that the majority of you are most excited about your marriage and the children you will bring into this world.”
He cited his wife as an example of a woman who found her “true” purpose in being a wife and mother, dismissing the notion that women might aspire to professional achievements or autonomy outside the home.
Butker’s remarks earned him swift condemnation from critics, but he found a supporter in none other than Republican Senator Josh Hawley, a controversial figure who has himself faced scrutiny for promoting hardline conservative views. In a recent show of mutual admiration, Butker endorsed Hawley’s re-election campaign against Democratic candidate Lucas Kunce.
“He’s a family man, he’s a godly man, and there’s no other person I’d want to support,” Butker said of Hawley, further deepening his ties to far-right politics.
Hawley, sitting alongside Butker during the interview, praised the kicker for “speaking the truth” and for standing up to what he called “left-wing attacks.”
“This is a guy who’s not afraid to say that we have got to stand on the principles that this country was founded on,” said Hawley. “And when the left came after him in such a crazy, nutty way this last spring, he didn’t give an inch.”
While Butker may be hailed as a champion of conservative values in some circles, his words are a stark reminder of the divisive rhetoric that continues to alienate women, LGBTQ+ communities, and progressives—groups that deserve more respect and representation in today’s America.
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